Risks for Frisk
by Bee-Knee
Summary: Frisk's mom is dead but it's alright. She is on a rescue mission and has a whole lot of LOVe. And, determination. -Underfell AU -Story in POV of Frisk's Mom (Who is a kick-ass skeleton pirate captain.) -Skeletons are just dead humans. (Post-apocalyptic surface.)
1. Chapter 1

**_Risks for Frisk: Chapter 1  
_**

* * *

It was supposed to be a simple hike up Mount Ebott. The Species Delegation-core offered a nice bonus for a quick survey, but never did I expect to find so much chalk in one place that it made the bonus obsolete.

It was Frisk that had found the first piece, with their eagle-eyes and keen sense of treasure-hunting.

I couldn't have been prouder when Frisk picked up a speck of chalk among the dirt.

"Mom look! A monster tooth, old too." Said Frisk.

It was a great piece. The Delegation would have been happy with it alone...but...

Not long after Frisk showed me the spot, I uprooted a monster skull.

It was a hirisine with horns not even budded. It was small and not too impressive, but the tooth fit and Frisk begged me to keep it.

Of course I let them. Then, we should have left …but...

Frisk kept picking up chalk and I kept digging up bigger and bigger pieces. My own skull rattled in excitement as I looked over so many monster skulls-species even, long extinct.

Already my wallet was fat with chalk in the first few hours. I charted out a proper dig-site for Mount Ebott and the Delegation-core was delighted. They sent out their best teams.

Archeologists I've only read about in books suddenly wanted to shake my hand. I was congratulated and my name was to be listed among them.

It was like a dream...but, it was a bit too good a deal.

I had to lose somehow.

Now I'm staring at a big fat hole. My kid **fell** down it.

I knew because one of my fingers was down there. Frisk had it tied around in a necklace, so we'd always be together.

My missing stub twitched. Frisk was down **deep** in the earth. Feeling the faint pulse from Frisk's neck told me they were still alive.

"Damn it!" I punched the ground and gravel fell into the hole

Frisk never would have found it after deciding to go cave spelunking if we had just gone...home.

Of course, hindsight is twenty, twenty.

Suddenly I was bitter about all the chalk at my feet and in my pockets.

The Delegation ordered dozens and dozens of drill-drudgers on site.

The activity made the earth weak and dug up caves pocketed with holes such as this.

I...I shouldn't have brought Frisk. We should have gone home.

I figured Frisk knew better than to walk where the drills had gone over or to pay any mind to the caves.

Of course, Frisk had treasure-hunting sense. One needed "risk" to spell "Frisk."

I should have seen it coming.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

My knuckles smacked my cranium as regret ate me up. It wasn't the first time I'd lost some crew, but it was the first time I lost a kid.

Frisk was both.

I called up the rest of the crew, told them to sit tight for a month and enjoy the cut of chalk they'd all gotten.

I got praises and audible kisses over the phone. It would have been nice to hear any other day…

The crew didn't need me. Neither the ship.

They didn't need a captain. They only needed chalk.

I walked deeper in the cave Frisk had been. I examined the hole, finding it remained pitch-black as a flashlight cast down into it.

It was huge and I couldn't exactly fault my kid for stumbling into it.

The same could have happened to me if I wasn't looking for it.

I sighed as I hear the drills work overhead. The danger of a cave-in became more real the longer I lingered.

I considered calling my crew, or calling off the drills but chalk was the authority not me.

I leaned over the hole, considering the risk. The days of folks helping another was gone.

Only chalk motivated others to perform services and getting a rescue team down here while chalk literally paved the walls wouldn't accomplish anything.

I felt like crying. Chalk was a precious thing, but now that it was all around me…

It couldn't save Frisk.

I clenched my teeth. If I'd a stomach It'd be all over the ground.

The drills were growing louder. The walls wailed, reminiscent of feral sirens at sea.

I didn't have much choice.

I stepped down into the hole and let myself be pulled under.

Chalk be damned.

* * *

My leather jacket spared my bones from being scrapped against the rocks which blurred by.

The drop was long and twisted, reminiscent of an amusement park ride rather than a straight dead-drop.

A few streaks of light shone into the cave, giving glimpses of my surroundings.

But I couldn't do much with the information.

I was falling.

When I saw the bottom I curled up into a ball, braced for impact.

 ***Breeeeaick!**

My skull catapulted off my spine and my metal jaw produced sparks as it skittered into the darkness.

The feeling was worse than death. There was no numbness or loss of consciousness.

No, instead I was keenly aware of every bone out of place. My teeth chattered, sounding like a metal locker being rammed repeatedly as it echoed off the walls.

My ribcage and peg-leg were the only things that remained on the ground, both being plated with metal. My spine was higher up. My pelvis and arms even farther apart.

Each had been at the mercy of momentum.

By chalk was I glad I was already dead.

It wasn't my first time being torn apart, but it sure was an inconvenience.

Things became a guessing game as I moved things blindly The toes of my foot gathered together, as did the carpals of my hands.

The vertebrae of my spine found the correct order agonizingly slow. I hoped none were cracked, else the pain would grow to be unbearable.

I didn't think much while this happened. The job went quicker without distractions.

 **But.**

Then I felt Frisk. My finger twitched against their neck. I felt the burning sensation of fire.

"What?!" My scream echoed.

Did Frisk fall down into Hell? Was the hole deep enough to reach lava?!

It was an absurd thought, as did I feel absurd pain.

I grew sick as my finger twitched against a stiff neck. No pulse. Frisk was dead...

"No!"

Frisk had close encounters with death before, but never had I been so far away.

My finger trembled in phantom pain...perhaps...perhaps it would be enough.

I had to try.

It wasn't right for kids to die.

Determination, I called upon it. My sockets pooled up with thick red magic.

I channeled it all into my finger. The burning sensation rivaled whatever fire had killed Frisk.

My finger must have looked like a red-hot iron and it melted into Frisk then.

The magic exploded into Frisk's body and the ancient spell twisted to reverse death.

Then I awoke, not realizing I had fallen asleep. My finger twitched and I felt a pulse, abnormal and fearful.

Death was reversed and I gave a grim smile.

My finger rattled and turned inward, "tickling" Frisk. I felt Frisk's neck vibrate in laughter and they picked up my finger. They kissed it and I smiled. They knew I was coming.

I had to again gather my toes and carpals. Use of determination reversed my own bones as well. Hopefully Frisk wouldn't die again.

Eventually, I pulled myself together with a click and snap of my metal jaw and peg-leg.

The ribcage was most important to me. I looked down into it and out popped Cracks.

I rolled the lights in my sockets as he glared at me. Falling don't appeal to him either.

"Hissssssss!"

The bird had the guts to snap at me, despite being just as dead.

He was a beautiful macaw once; his feathers vermilion, gold, and a sapphire blue.

Now he was an ugly bastard. His thin bones meant for flying were as good as glass. Everyday was a miracle when he stayed intact.

He chewed a piece of chalk. I would've snapped it away from him, **if** , my ribcage wasn't already filled to the brim with the stuff.

Nevermind all that. Cracks was quick to leave me, hunkering back down into my ribs and his hoard of chalk. He would be as useless as always.

I stood up, shaky like greenhorns fresh from port.

I was surprised to find grass underfoot.

Grabbing a handful I sniffed. It was real?

I grabbed more handfuls, pausing as I examined golden flowers which also grew.

Then I crushed everything I picked, sucking every bit of magic and life from the plants.

It was the best start I could've hoped for, considering circumstances.

I again reexamined the grass and found a distinctive imprint.

Frisk had fallen here. Pink and blue wool residue was pressed into the patch. I hesitantly touched it.

Blood? I rubbed my claws together. No, just moisture from the grass.

Frisk was alive...or so I hoped. All the bleeding could've been internal.

"Auack." I choked. Perhaps Frisk had broken bones...

There was no time to lose!

My peg-leg stabbed angrily into the cavern floor and my other foot struggled to keep up.

The cave was dark, darker than the hole had been.

Fortunately I was dead. I didn't need the light.

My sockets glowed red-rubies, almost as nice as chalk.

As I walked, I noticed my hands nervously play with the chalk in my pockets.

Most had been reduced to sugar and puffed out behind me. But, I didn't mind. There was endless chalk to be found.

There was only one Frisk.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Risks for Frisk: Chapter 2  
_**

* * *

I didn't walk long until I came across something..odd.

'A trap?'

Rows and rows of metal spikes littered the ground in square groups. Some squares were covered with dirt and when I stepped on them, spikes popped out.

A good thing I was dead. Otherwise, I'd have lost an eye.

Keenly, I checked each tip for blood. There was some, but thankfully wasn't fresh and had long rusted the metal.

No signs of sweater fluff either.

My knees locked up and I sighed. Putting myself together tired me out.

I prayed I didn't have to jump down another hole.

After the spikes, the cave became something else.

Ruins held up and carved out the cavern walls.I had to pause a moment to admire the architecture.

Symbols of clouds, a sun, and trees were depicted in the relief. Mundane stuff normally, but down here it obviously looked important.

Then an emblem of sorts stood out. It was a dot with wings with three triangles underneath.

Odd, very odd. It also struck me as familiar. I might have seen it once in one of the Delegation-core museums.

I took out a chunk from the wall as a souvenir. I suspected it would be worth its weight in chalk.

Cracks gave an indicative squak as the relief plopped in. He'd better not chew it up, It'd be worthless then.

Walking along gave way to more spike traps and crumbled relief; but, nothing new.

Occasionally I saw things move in the darkness. Butterfly-fairy things that disappeared before I could get a good-look, mutated frogs that stuck to fetid puddles, and even a cluster of spiders or two.

I naturally stomped on the spiders. They're pests, always weaving webs between the ribs of the crew, and sometimes killed the living ones with a few nips or two.

Pests, I'll say it again.

Anyway, it was odd stuff. However, I was too tired to pay the creatures much mind; besides,they all ran away from me. I wasn't going to bother to catch them...yet.

I do _like_ making discoveries.

A little further on, and then..

I was gobsmacked.

A house! A _wooden_ house, deep underground!?

"Huh."

There were dead bushes and a dead tree in front.

Just what was this place?

My carpals clasped together. That must be where Frisk was.

I knew if I was a kid I'd go into the creepy underground house. The only thing to make it more appealing would be to lather it in candy.

I tapped the side of the house, half expecting it to be petrified wood.

It wasn't but I still splintered out some samples for later.

"Squassuak!"

Damn it Cracks! The bastard chewed up every splinter. Of course, I'd always have to make sure he wasn't eating my ship!

"Hissssquack!"

Little bastard.

I didn't bother knocking on the door. The place wasn't giving out the friendliest of vibes.

Plus, Frisk might have been bleeding out in a corner somewhere.

The door wasn't locked, giving more credit to my suspicion. Carefully, I looked around trying to be discreet. Walking with a metal peg-leg was an unfortunate give away, however.

"Frisk!"

My voice echoed slightly.

"Frisk!"

I listened carefully, but I got no reply. Only Crack's persistent chewing was heard.

The first room I entered was a living room, which had a fireplace with a few burning embers and a book had been tossed aside.

Someone lived here, but the house was empty, My bones grew cold. Frisk...was Frisk kidnapped!?

Any doubts I had about jumping down the hole vanished. I wasn't about to let my Frisk be tormented by some freak hundreds of feet down under.

"Frisk!"

I found a flight of stairs. There, on a step, was a tiny bit of pink and blue wool...

And it lead down to a _basement_!

All the cliche kidnapping horrors rattled around inside my skull.

"Frisk!"

Cracks nibbled and scratched my ribs as I clattered down.

Damn bird.

"Frisk…" I mumbled.

I ran and my peg-leg squeaked. I hoped it wouldn't snap.

* * *

The basement extended into a hallway and turned into a corner.

My teeth clicked. At the end was a huge set of doors. I spotted the same symbol from the relief and I made a mental note to remember.

I walked up cautiously, also recalling the traps beforehand.

No traps, but…

Chalk?

A generous pile was at my feet, almost reaching up to my knees.

It wasn't chalk exactly.

No, not at all, actually.

It was too fresh and had the consistency of wet sand.

I stuck a hand in and pulled up wet, off-white sludge.

It was marsh then.

Marsh was considered a delicacy and named after "Marshmallows."

I tasted a bit. It wasn't for me.

It had a smokey flavor and was salty, very salty.

Cracks poked his head out and noticed me snacking. He jumped into the marsh pile without hesitation.

"Squaaaaak."

Never had I seen Cracks look so happy!

He was overwhelmed by how much there was to eat. Good for him.

While he did so, I investigated the crime-scene. It was easy enough to piece together that the marsh pile likely was the monster that had killed Frisk. The smoky taste came from fire magic and scorch marks married the walls, with a huge one being right under the pile.

Then I saw blood. My teeth clenched. I smelled burned hair and wool.

Frisk. Without that finger necklace and determination, my adventure would have ended here...poorly.

I checked and felt my finger nestled against Frisk, but it was cold and Frisk was trembling.

Why?

"Squuachurp!" An uncharacteristically happy chirp caught my attention.

Cracks was dripping with marsh. It looked like he'd grown flesh.

In the pile I pulled out a skull. It was of an adult hirisine, female going by the short horns.

I raised a brow. Hirisine weren't known to use fire magic, then again it could belong to an undiscovered subspecies. I noted it down.

Cracks was rolling freely in the marsh. I noticed the robe then. I pulled it out and guessed it had been a dark purple-almost black; but the marsh had stained it white, pink, yellow, and so much more.

"Huh."

The robe had the same symbol on the relief and the ruin doors. I had no doubt about it being significant now.

I folded the robe and placed it in my ribs. Cracks followed suit, drawn in by the robe's marsh and soft texture.

Damn bird.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Risks for Frisk: Chapter 3  
_**

* * *

Oh, snow! It covered everything and chilled my bones as soon as the ruin doors opened.

No wonder Frisk was trembling. That dinky sweater they wore wasn't enough for this weather.

"Squahhhh!"

Cracks was full of regret. The marsh began to freeze onto his bones.

I raised a brow, surprised he wasn't even in the mood for chewing anymore.

Good. Maybe they'd be chalk left for me.

Then, I rubbed my head.

It was happening **again.**

Frisk was dying but no way in hell could I tell by what. The necklace had been broken off and my finger luckily hooked into Frisk's sweater.

I called on determination again. The magic intense enough to unfreeze Cracks from the marsh.

When the magic left me...I...damn.

I was back at the **beginning.**

My skull was still severed from my spine. My toes and carpals were way up high.

I was in pieces and had to slowly agonize on putting myself together...again.

I hoped whatever was killing Frisk stopped.

I couldn't live like this. I refused to consider the **trap** determination put me in.

"Squaaa~!"

Of course, Cracks was delighted. All he knew was that he suddenly wasn't freezing.

Eventually I was together again. Knowing what to expect, I didn't bother with walking.

I ran and Cracks indignantly snapped my ribs as I jostled him and the chalk.

I didn't bother getting a piece of relief now that I knew the symbol was so prominent.

I would have ran past the marsh pile too, but Cracks refused to pass it up.

"Squack."

The dumb bird was rolling in the marsh again, having apparently forgotten all about his previous trauma.

I picked up the robe again, wanting some reference of the symbol; plus, it was easy to carry.

As soon as the ruin doors opened, I began running. Even when my peg-leg groaned from the cold and Cracks angrily detested.

I had to get to Frisk **before-**

* * *

It happened again…

I was at the beginning, in pieces. Whatever counted as my heart broke too.

Never had my kid died so much in one day.

I was back in the snow again and was delighted to make some progress.

I managed to be in the middle of an **underground** forest before determination tossed me back into pieces.

I can across many traps in the forest, but being dead meant I could walk on past them all. But with each one I understood how Frisk died.

I lost count of how many times determination had thrown me back. I didn't dwell on it…couldn't...else I'd start to go crazy.

It was like being out at sea and spotting only water for days on end.

One had to occupy the mind differently and it was the same here.

I made it to a _"bridge"_ this time; another crime-scene. The whole area looked like it'd gone through an explosion. Trees were burnt up and what remained of the bridge was just some rope.

Leaning over the ravine revealed a bunch of dangerous junk: knives, maces, gasoline?

Is this what killed my kid? I can't say I'm surprised. I would have died to that death-avalanche too.

Whoever did this to my kid was gonna face worse.

Snowdin, wow. A thriving town underground was sure a surprise. If the place was abandoned and broken it would have seemed more real.

A rabbit, bipedal, walked through the snow. I stared at them, a bit rudely.

It was insane, a monster no doubt and this town was full of em.

I saw dogs and bears. Long-necked lunatics and even tiny rock people.

I guess that chalk had to come from somewhere...

Still, I was beginning to think I died all over again.

The first building I passed had a strange smell of cinnamon and gasoline.

My finger twitched on Frisk's necklace. I still felt a pulse, but the way it suddenly sped up told me the kid was scared.

And maybe close to death.

I sighed. No point in walking anymore if determination was gonna fling me back any moment.

So I went into the shop. A purple rabbit was manning the counter and I knew I must have looked funny because they gave me a scathing .

"You have gold this time, Sans?"

How rude. I'm not sure what "Sans" was slang for but it came off as an insult all the same.

I ignored the rabbit and my attention turned to the merchandise. There was an overabundance of black and red textiles and knickknacks.

It was ridiculous! A red stuffed bunny doll was wearing a spiked collar and a black tea-set was cursed with hideous lime green polka-dots.

I had no more time to think about what I was seeing before Frisk's pulse went out.

Determination flung me. I was in pieces again.

The bright-side was that the process was taking less time.

I recalled how the rabbit store-keep mentioned "gold."

Ha, I haven't heard that word in a while.

Before, my crew and I, would've killed each other over a measly pouch of the stuff.

Now, gold was long worthless. Ships mined the stuff straight from asteroids now.

Chalk is what replaced it.

Of course, not down here, in this magical monsterland. They didn't get the memo yet.

Walking through the ruins I actually found some gold.

A few doubloons gained from squishing a few extra spider-clusters. I placed the gold in my jacket pocket, else Cracks would've chewed them right up.

I picked up the robe and Cracks had his fun in the marsh again.

This time I made it farther into town. Folks glared at me as I passed, but I thought nothing of it-these monsters looked cuddly compared to what thrived on the surface.

A place called "Grillby's" caught my attention. It smelled better than everything else, so I went in.

Immediately, all eyes were on me. It was weird, like a zoo had all the exhibits crammed together.

I pushed past the crowd and heard a few mumbling the word "Sans," whatever **that** meant.

The bar-counter had empty seats so I settled down.

Other patrons had a drink in hand, others eating burgers and fries. It was surreal, like I got sucked into a painting; especially, due to the fact that dogs were playing a poker game right beside me.

The bartender came out of the kitchen and approached me. He held a platter of fries and a burger. He set it down in front of me, but seemed to hesitate.

I raised a brow. I hadn't ordered it.

Did I take someone's seat? Was it just a weird business practice or culture thing here?

I stared at the bartender. He had no face and was instead living fire shaped-like a man.

I suspected this was "Grillby," which the place referred to.

I didn't touch the food, even though it looked delectable.

I didn't have time. Frisk's pulse stopped again.

* * *

I ended up going back to Grillby's. I had gold in my pocket and I wanted to see what monster cuisine was all about. This time when the bartender came out, I already had gold on the counter.

He took the gold and I felt more comfortable eating it. I even slipped Cracks a piece.

It was a good burger.


End file.
